The Georgian citizen was sentenced in absentia for participating in battles on the side of Ukraine.

The court in Russia sentenced Georgian citizen Zaza Nanuashvili to 17 years in a penal colony in absentia, recognizing him as a participant in hostilities on the side of Ukraine.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, courts in Russia have repeatedly issued sentences to Georgian citizens under the article on mercenarism. For instance, in June, a Russian court sentenced in absentia to 14 years imprisonment a 34-year-old Georgian citizen Nuri Mitagvari, finding him guilty of mercenarism. According to the investigation, in March 2022, Mitagvari arrived in Ukraine, where he underwent military training and participated in hostilities against Russian servicemen.

The participation of Georgian fighters in battles in Ukraine raised questions about their motivation

A 52-year-old Georgian citizen Zaza Nanuashvili was found guilty under part 1 of article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (training of mercenaries) and part 3 of article 359 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict), the Investigative Committee of Russia reported on November 6 in its Telegram channel.

"It has been established that since the summer of 2014, Nanuashvili, acting as part of various armed formations in Ukraine, participated in hostilities against representatives of the law enforcement agencies of the DPR and LPR, as well as servicemen of the RF Armed Forces, for monetary compensation. In addition to direct participation in hostilities, the defendant was engaged in training other mercenaries, teaching them mine-explosive affairs and combat tactics," the publication cites the court's conclusion.

Nanuashvili was sentenced in absentia to 17 years in a strict regime colony. "The mercenary has been placed on the international wanted list. The court has chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention," the agency stated.

It should be noted that in November 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported the capture of two Georgian citizens - Georgy Goglidze and Georgy Chubetidze, stating that they were snipers in the "International Legion" of Ukraine. The commander of the "International Legion" stated that these fighters were not in his unit but called on the Georgian authorities to intervene in the situation. In response, the Georgian authorities stated that they "do not have the resources" to deal with the release of prisoners.

All foreigners accused of mercenarism served under contract in official units

Later, Goglidze was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony, while Chubetidze received a life sentence. Human rights activists recognized Chubetidze as a political prisoner. "The Geneva Convention on the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts does not recognize as mercenaries those who officially serve in the armed forces of one of the warring parties. All foreigners accused of mercenarism served under contract in official units of the Ukrainian army," they explained.

The ruling party "Georgian Dream" in December 2022 warned volunteers going to Ukraine that the law allows for the deprivation of their citizenship for serving in foreign troops. Authorities want to curb the participation of Georgians in battles in Ukraine, seeing volunteers as a political threat, analysts commented.